instrument panel CHEVROLET COLORADO 2012 1.G Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Colorado Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3 Driving and Operating
. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-22
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-31
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-42
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-63
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-89
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-94

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Passenger Sensing System . . . 1-9
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-18
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
1-2 In Brief
Instrument Panel
Manual Transmission shown, Automatic Transmission similar

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-9
Passenger Sensing
System
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. The driver
airbags are not affected by this.
If the vehicle has one of the
passenger airbag status indicators
pictured in the following illustrations,
then the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
instrument panel when the vehicle
is started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑26 for important information.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have controls on the driver door
armrest.
To adjust the power mirrors:
1. Move the selector switch to the
L (left) or R (right) to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press one of the four arrows located on the control pad to
move the mirror to the desired
direction.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-11
To adjust:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pullthe lever toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened.
To manually turn on the dome
lamps, turn the thumbwheel, located
next to the exterior lamps control, all
the way up. The cargo lamps may
come on, if the vehicle is equipped
with Bluetooth. In this position, the
lamps remain on whether a door is
opened or closed. Reading Lamps
Press the lens on the lamps to turn
each reading lamp on or off.
These lamps will not come on with
the dome lamps.
For more information see:
.“Dome Lamp Override”
under
Dome Lamps on page 6‑6.
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑6.
.Exit Lighting on page 6‑7.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
1-14 In Brief
Four-Wheel Drive
Four-wheel drive sends engine
power to all four wheels for extra
traction.
The transfer case buttons are
located to the right of the steering
wheel on the instrument panel.
Use these buttons to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive.2
m(Two-Wheel High):
Use for
driving in most street and highway
situations.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake on
page 9‑41. N (Neutral):
Use the N (Neutral)
position only when towing the
vehicle. See Recreational Vehicle
Towing on page 10‑89.
4
m(Four-Wheel High): Use when
extra traction is needed in most
off-road situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel Low): Use this
position to deliver extra torque
to all four wheels. Used for extreme
off‐road conditions. See Four-Wheel
Drive on page 9‑36.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-17
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC is located on the
instrument panel cluster. It displays
the status of many vehicle systems
and enables some features to be
personalized.
Use the trip reset stem located on
the instrument panel cluster to scroll
through the available functions.
For more information, seeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑19.
Vehicle Personalization
Some vehicle features can be
personalized through the DIC.
These features include:
.Language: English, Spanish,
or French
.Automatic Door Locks
.RKE Feedback For more information, see
Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑19.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The vehicle may have an accessory
power outlet located below the
climate control system and on the
rear of the center console.
See Power Outlets on page 5‑5.
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The traction control system limits
wheel spin. The system turns on
automatically every time the vehicle
is started.
.To turn off traction control, press
and release the TCS/StabiliTrak
button on the instrument panel.
gilluminates and the appropriate
DIC message is displayed. See
Ride Control System Messages
on page 5‑25.
.Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button again to turn
on traction control.
For more information, see Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑42.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
3. Slide the lower end fitting ontothe top bolt. The tailgate will
now stay in the partially opened
position.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the driver side.
If you would like to close the
tailgate, the bracket cannot be in
the partially opened position. Use
the top position on the bracket to
anchor it on the bottom bolt.Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-theft Alarm System
If your vehicle has the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) system, the
vehicle has a content theft-deterrent
alarm system.
To activate the content
theft-deterrent system:
1. Close all the doors.
2. Lock the doors with the RKE transmitter. The security light,
located on the instrument panel
cluster, will flash. If the LOCK button on the RKE
transmitter is pressed, but a door is
open, the horn will chirp six times.
Press the LOCK button again, within
three seconds, and the doors will
lock. Close the open door and the
system will be activated.
If a locked door is not opened using
the RKE transmitter, or by OnStar
®,
the pre-alarm will go off. If the
engine is not started or UNLOCK
not pressed within 10 seconds, the
front turn signal lamps will flash for
two minutes, and the horn will sound
for two minutes, then will turn off to
save the battery power.
Remember, the theft-deterrent
system will not activate if you lock
the doors with a key, the manual
door lock, or power door lock
switch. The system can only be
activated using the RKE transmitter,
or by OnStar
®. See the OnStar
Owner's Guide for additional
information. You should also
remember that you can start your
vehicle with the correct ignition key
if the alarm has been set off.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-11
WARNING (Continued)
It is extremely dangerous to
ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑9 for additional information.
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts! When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the
safety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you
are wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
3-20 Seats and Restraints
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
Your vehicle may also have the
following airbags:
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the right front passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for the
driver and on the instrument panel
for the right front passenger. With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:{WARNING
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt
—even
if you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑23.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{WARNING
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
(Continued)